No one knows for certain how many borrowers fit the rather amorphous
strategic defaulter mold. But credit repository Experian estimates that
20 percent of all foreclosures are the result of walkaways, people who
could afford to make their payments but who decided not to.

These
are not just borrowers who made a personal, strategic financial decision
not to pay. In some cases, they remained in their houses for months or
even years, living free on the government's dime — and yours and mine —
before moving on. In other instances, they profited handsomely by
renting their properties to unsuspecting tenants, collecting rent for
many months but never paying lenders. (Chicago Tribune)

The agency is working with mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were rescued by the government to the tune of $187 billion so far, to determine how to identify strategic defaulters from those who could no longer afford their home.